Here’s a rewritten version of the article, preserving all verifiable facts and structured with a breaking-news lead followed by evergreen content:
Opposition Leader Urges Venezuelans to Vote in Upcoming Municipal Elections Amidst Electoral Concerns
Caracas, Venezuela – Stalin González, an elected deputy to the National Assembly representing the opposition, has called on Venezuelans to participate in upcoming municipal elections, emphasizing the importance of defending their local governance. Speaking to CNN, González expressed that while the results of the May 25 elections did not meet expectations, he anticipates higher participation in the current electoral process. He believes increased turnout could help the opposition retain control of some mayoralties currently held by parties opposed to President Nicolás Maduro.
González articulated a clear stance against conceding further political ground to the government. “We do not share that theory of giving everything to the Government,” he stated. “What does the opposition earn by giving those spaces? We all know what happened on July 28, we all know what happened last year in the country, and delivering more spaces to the government is not our theory.Here you have to continue fighting for a political change in Venezuela.” This sentiment underscores the opposition’s argument that the results announced on july 28, 2024, did not accurately reflect the will of venezuelans at the polls.
Concerns regarding the electoral process were echoed by Eugenio Martínez, director of the Electoral NGO Votescope. Martínez informed CNN that many of the issues previously denounced during regional elections are recurring in the current process.These include a lack of verifiable details on various stages of the election, an un-updated electoral registry, and insufficient detail regarding the electoral schedule and audit procedures.
CNN reached out to the National Electoral Council for their outlook on these allegations but had not received a response at the time of reporting. The Council has consistently maintained that Venezuela possesses a highly automated, clear, and reliable electoral system.
Looking ahead, Venezuela has other elections scheduled for later this year. President Maduro has also indicated that a constitutional reform project is in advancement, which will be deliberated by the Parliament elected in May and is slated to commence in January 2026. For opposition deputy Stalin González, the priority for the minority in the national Assembly is to prepare for this reform debate and formulate arguments for when the project moves to the citizen consultation phase.
editor’s note: This article has been updated.
